Processes for the devulcanization of rubber, as well as the liquefaction, solubilization and/or extraction of hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from hydrocarbon-containing materials, using turpentine liquids have been developed as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,767,722 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,101,812. Processes for the recycling of plastics comprising polymers via solvent treatment have been developed as described in PCT Pub. No. WO 2012/033742. However, because a substantial portion of the solvents, e.g., turpentine liquids, remain trapped within these materials after treatment, there remains a need in the art for a method of dissolving, extracting, and/or removing solvents such as turpentine liquids from the turpentine liquid-treated rubbers, plastics, and hydrocarbon-containing materials.
Devulcanized rubber, rubber, partially devulcanized rubber, plastics containing polymers, recycled plastics, recovered plastics, silicon substrates, limestone, natural and synthetic porous materials, mineral and rock formations, sponges, and hydrocarbon-containing materials that have been treated with solvents may contain various amounts of those solvents trapped within the pores of the materials, plastics, or rubber. In order to further use or process these materials, it is necessary to remove the trapped solvents and liquids that are associated with the trapped solvents. Further, in order to effect economical processes, it is advantageous to remove and recycle as much of the trapped solvents as possible for reuse.
The liquefaction, solubilization and/or extraction of fossil fuels, also called hydrocarbon-containing organic matter, in solid, semi-solid, highly viscous or viscous form (individually and jointly referred to as fossil fuels hereafter) have proven to be extremely challenging and difficult. As used herein, such fossils fuels include, but are not limited to, hydrocarbon-containing organic matter within coal, oil shale, tar (oil) sands and oil sands (hereinafter referred to as “tar (oil) sands,” “tar sands,” or “oil sands,” interchangeably), as well as crude oil, heavy or extra heavy crude oil, natural gas and petroleum gas, crude bitumen, kerogen, natural asphalt and/or asphaltenes hydrocarbon. The difficulty can in part be attributed to the fact that these fossil fuels include complex organic polymers linked by oxygen and sulfur bonds, which are often imbedded in the matrices of inorganic compounds. A need exists to produce additional liquid hydrocarbon feed stock for the manufacture of liquid and gaseous fuels as well as for the production of various chemicals, pharmaceuticals and engineered materials as the demand and consumption for hydrocarbon based materials increases.